Receiving is Believing

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

...

That ellipsis stands for me catching my breath after the rush of amazing things happening this week, and I will tell you about all of those subito (translation: "soon"...a word rarely used in Italian...unless referring to the next meal). For this blog, however, I really wanted to focus on one thing, one lesson God has been trying to teach me that I have been slow to learn: Receive, receive, receive.

Here in the seminary, we often have a little problem called "Pelagianism," an early heresy in which Pelagius, its overachieving patron, decided that original sin hadn't really messed things up that bad and that we could reach God on our own, without His help. Two words: BIG MISTAKE. DOESN'T WORK. DOOMED TO FAILURE. I CAN'T EVEN COUNT WITHOUT HIS HELP.

Now, I am not saying we in the seminary are a bunch of heretics. Let me make that perfectly clear. Seminarians = good. But we have a tendency to want to be more good, and we think we have to do it all by our lonesome (and if I continue to use the words "by our lonesome," I will probably end up that way).

Okay, so my point, without digression, is that I need to receive God's love, not try to earn my way there. He's not sitting there in heaven eating Ben & Jerry's and watching Matlock, occasionally glancing down to see if I'm getting any closer. God is knocking at--scratch that--knocking down the door of my heart trying to get in so that I can receive His love for me. That's it: it's all about receptivity. God is the One Who by His grace accomplishes all things. So we just need to receive that grace and be thankful for it.

As this wonderful little pamphlet published by the Missionaries of Charity (Blessed Mother Teresa's Order) puts it, "I THIRST FOR YOU - just as you are. You don't need to change to believe in My love, for it will be your belief in My love that will change you."

I love that quote. It hits me every time.... And what a consolation! To know that I don't have to do it, I just have to let it be done to me...according to His word. Who does that sound like? I'll point you to chapter and verse using a hyper-link; you don't even need a Bible handy (the Catholics among you are already wiping your foreheads): The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, Verse 38.

So when you feel like you can't do it, just remember: you can't, but God can. Let Him.

"I thirst for you." Now that's a statement I can really drink in. God bless, and I'm praying for you. Oh, and some great stories are on the way.

Homework, Featherweight: Buy a flower for your Mom, just cuz.
Homework, Heaveyweight: Buy her a flower, then tell her you love her.
Homework, Heaveyweight Champ: Buy her the flower, tell her you love her, then pray with her.